The Start of New Beginnings
by Aoi .Kagehime. Matsumoto
Summary: This story follows the adventures of Mana, human turned cyndaquil, and her partner and friend Riolu as they adventure through many places. From rescuing pokemon and catching outlaws to preventing the world's destruction, Riolu and Mana face many trials and overcome their hardships. Based on mystery dungeon games (explorers of sky). I DON'T OWN the games, characters; anything.
1. Riolu

_"Grovyle!" Mana stretches her hand out, her fingers trying to grab hold of her partner, Grovyle. The storm growls overhead, the wind strengthening its force and separating the two friends. "Groooovyle!" Lightning strikes and Mana cries out at the nothingness that surrounds her and finally, she blacks out._

* * *

The salty ocean carries Mana to shore, gently placing her on the warm sand. The bright sun wakes her up and she blinks a few times, trying to get a sense of where she is. She looks around, confused. What was she doing on the beach? Why can't she remember anything but her name? She turns to find a pokemon looking at her, worry filling his eyes. She cocks her head to the side, unsure of what this pokemon wants.

"I'm sorry if I woke you, but I was admiring the beach and noticed that you were here unconscious. I wanted to make sure you were okay, but…" The pokemon looks away and Mana can see his legs trembling. _Is he afraid?_ The pokemon looks back at Mana, suddenly gaining some confidence.

"By the way, my name's Riolu. I wanted to be a guild member, but I was too frightened to join so I came here to calm down." Riolu takes a step closer and says, "But it's rare to see a cyndaquil around here. Where did you come from?" At this, Mana looks up in surprise. _Wait, did he just say a cyndaquil? No that's impossible, I'm a human! _

"What's wrong?" Mana ignores Riolu and checks her reflection and a cyndaquil looks back at her, showing the same panic she is now feeling. "That's impossible! I can't be a cyndaquil, I'm a human!" At this, Riolu jumps back. "A-A human? But why are you a pokemon if you're a human?" "I-I don't know, but this isn't right!" "Well, what happened?" Mana looks down, feeling depressed. "I-I don't know. I can't seem to remember anything except my name and that I was once human." "Oh. Um…well, we can try and figure this out. Here, have a look at this." Riolu takes out his treasure and lays it in front of Mana.

"This is my treasure. I found it awhile ago, but I have no idea what it is." Riolu puts away his treasure and looks down, kicking the sand with his foot. "My dream is to explore different places and find clues on what this relic thingie is. It looks like you're also-" Suddenly something smacks into Riolu from behind and he falls forward, his treasure landing on the sand.

"Well, well, well. Look who it is, the coward who couldn't even join a guild if he wanted to," Zubat says and Koffing laughs. Riolu gets up and Mana glances back and forth between Riolu and the other two pokemon, her confusion growing. _What is going on?_

"Give that back or I'll make you!" Riolu points his paw at Zubat and both pokemon flinch. "Uhh…I think this kid means it, Zubat." However, before anyone could react, Riolu's legs give way, and he starts shaking in fear.

"Gahahaha! You really had us going there kid! But since we know you ain't gonna stop us, we're gonna take this little treasure. Who knows? We might even give it back to you if you beg." Laughing, Zubat takes Riolu's treasure and flies off into a cave near Mana and Riolu. Koffing follows, saying, "You might as well give up on it and go home to your mommy, where it's safe." The two pokemon disappear and Riolu slumps down.

"It's no use, I can't do anything about it! They were right, I am too much of a coward to follow in after them. What should I do? I really want to get back my treasure, but to do it alone and especially when they're waiting for me?" Mana watches quietly, glancing behind her where the cave is and then turning back to look at Riolu. While it's true that she has no idea what's going on or whether or not Riolu is a good pokemon or not, the fact that his most precious item was stolen doesn't sit well for her. _I feel that I should trust Riolu, but I don't know why. Even though I don't remember anything, it feels like teaming up with Riolu to get back his treasure is the right thing to do._

"I'll go with you." "W-what? B-but it's too dangerous, did you see how strong they-" "They took away your precious treasure and you're going to let them go just like that? You told me that your dream was to find clues about it, but you need to have more confidence in yourself. Come on, they can't have gone far." Mana goes after Zubat and Koffing and Riolu gulps, his body shaking. _She's right, I should have more confidence in myself, but they look too strong for me to handle by myself. What if I lose and I never get back my treasure? _Riolu shakes his head. _No, she said that she'll help me and I've got to believe her._ "W-wait up!"

No matter how many times Riolu squealed in panic, the cyndaquil was always there to protect him. At one point, a group of pokemon clustered around Riolu and Mana, each of them attacking mercilessly, but no matter how much Riolu wanted to run, the cyndaquil was right there rescuing him without delay. Finally, they reach the end and both Zubat and Koffing turn around, surprised. Zubat was the first to recover and he smirks evilly.

"Look who showed up, Koffing. We were just wondering what we were gonna do with this thing." Zubat moves aside and shows Mana and Riolu the relic thingie just lying there. Koffing lets out a rumbling giggle and says to Zubat, "We should sell this to the highest bidder. We'd be rich for sure!"

"You can't do that, that's my treasure!" "Ha! If you want this back, then you'll have to win against us…if you can that is." Riolu takes a small step back just as Mana takes a step forward, her eyes blazing with determination. Her back releases flames as she prepares to battle.

"Oh-ho, so your little friend is going to take us on, huh? Fine, then you can watch as we defeat her!" Zubat and Koffing advance on Mana, but she stands her ground. Even though the odds are against her, if she acts accordingly, then she should be able to win. Before Zubat can make a move, Mana throws a sleep seed-that she had picked up on one of the floors-at Koffing and he instantly drifts off.

"Gaah, why you-" Mana uses tackle, charging for Zubat. She hits him hard, but he only laughs. Suddenly, the strength she once had is being drained from her as Zubat uses his leech life to heal himself. Riolu watches, terrified that the cyndaquil is losing so quickly. If only he was strong and brave enough like that pokemon was, then would he be able to join the battle. _Ooohhhhh, what should I do? They're too strong for us to handle!_ "Riolu!" Riolu looks up and sees the cynadaquil pushing against Zubat. She turns to him, her feet digging in the ground. "No matter what, I'll get back your precious treasure! Just don't give up hope!" Riolu's eyes glisten with tears. This stranger whom he just met a few moments ago is fighting so hard to get back Riolu's item and what is he doing besides moping?

"Heh, looks like you and your friend are done for." Zubat sucks more energy from Mana, but she doesn't stop her attack as she tackles him again. However, Koffing blocks her attack and she is flown backwards, already at her limit. She can't give up now, she told Riolu that she would get back his item, so if she failed… _NO! I can't start thinking like that! I still have some strength left and I'm going to keep on fighting until I faint._ With that, she uses smokescreen and continues her attack.

Again she is flown back and both Zubat and Koffing come out of the smoke, their smiles wide. Mana breathes heavily, her eyes not leaving them. "Heh heh, looks like it's the end for you." Mana tries and fails to get up, her body exhausted. She watches as Zubat comes at her and her eyes widen as Riolu quickly steps in to take on the attack.

"So, you came to lose with your friend. Fine then, I will send you both flying!" Zubat attacks, but Riolu uses quick attack, slamming into Zubat and he lands on the ground, unconscious. Koffing's eyes widen slightly, but he recovers and charges towards Riolu. Mana uses smokescreen to cover Riolu as he senses his opponent. Once found, Riolu uses quick attack and continues on the offensive until finally, when the smoke clears, Riolu stands in front of an almost unconscious Koffing.

"A-alright, you..you win. You can have your piece of junk back…" With that, Koffing closes his eyes in defeat. Mana walks over to Riolu, looking at Koffing. "Is he…?" Riolu shakes his head and smiles. "No, he's just sleeping." Riolu walks over to the relic thingie and picks it up. "Welcome home," he whispers to it and puts it away. Together, he and Mana walk out of the cave.

* * *

"I'm really glad you were there to help me. If it wasn't for you, I would have never gotten back my treasure, nor would I have ever fought Zubat and Koffing the way I did." Riolu turns to face Mana, the sunset reflecting his eyes. "It was because you were there that I was able to overcome my fear and fight for myself. To be honest…" He looks away for a moment. "I've always want to explore unknown places and find rare treasure, but I've come to realize that I'm too afraid to go alone. You were able to bring out something in me that I never experienced and I want to continue to experience it with you." Riolu looks back at Mana, his eyes pleading.

"A-are you…?" "Am I what?" Mana glances down and asks, "Are you trying to recruit me to be on your team?" Riolu gasps and blushes, but he responds, "Well, uhh...when you put it that way, I guess I kinda would be." He laughs nervously. "But while we look for clues about my relic thingie, we could also look for answers as to why you were turned into a pokemon and maybe your memory might come back." _That's right. When I woke up on shore, I didn't know what happened or what caused this. In fact, maybe if I join up with Riolu, I can find answers about me. _I glance up at Riolu. _I have a good feeling about him, I feel like I can trust him and anyways, I wasn't really sure about what I should do. _Mana smiles.

"I think it would also be fun to explore many different places and along the way, we might find the answers both of us are looking for. I would love to be partners with you." Riolu jumps in the air, yelling out, "Alright!" I feel his excitement rushing into me and I can't help but yell as well. Riolu grabs one of my legs and shakes it, expressing his gratitude with tears in his eyes.

"Allow me to formally introduce myself. My name is Riolu and I hope that we can become friends in the future!" I nod, following his lead. "And my name is Mana and I hope that we'll always be together through the end."


	2. Team Future

Chatot peers down at the new recruits, Riolu and Mana. Riolu fidgets under his stare while Mana stares back at the Guildmaster's right hand pokemon, as Chatot put it. "Your training begins tomorrow bright and early, so don't miss it or you'll feel the wrath of our guildmaster. Now, let me show you to your rooms." Mana and Riolu follow after Chatot and he explains the rules. Mana is too busy with her own thoughts as she ponders what's next. Would they immediately start their explorations? How will they go about finding clues as to each other's questions?

"…Wigglytuff's office to officialize your team name." Chatot's voice startles Mana back into the present and following the pokemon, she looks at Riolu for an explanation. "What does Chatot mean by an exploration name?" "Oh, that just means that our name is recorded into the guildmaster's record book. Umm, it lets everyone know that we…are just as important as the other members." "So basically, you don't know either," Mana says, letting out a small sigh and then mumbling, "You could've just said you weren't paying attention either." At this, Riolu lets out an embarrassed giggle.

The three arrive outside Wigglytuff's door. Chatot enters, but not before threatening punishment on Mana and Riolu should they not give Wigglytuff the proper respect. Riolu gulps, already terrified and he looks at the open door, daring him to run. Mana stands her ground, feeling a little intimidated until the large pink fluff yells out, "Yoom-tah!" Chatot introduces the guildmaster to Mana and Riolu and both of them bow their heads in respect.

"Now that that's out of the way, it's time to decide what your team name is." "U-uh, already? B-but we didn't even prepare for it yet!" Riolu says, feeling flustered. He looks over at his new partner for help and both Wigglytuff and Chatot turn their attention to Mana. Something whispers to her and without wasting another second, she replies, "Future. Our team name will be Future." She glances over at Riolu and he's nodding in agreement. With that, Team Future is recorded in with the rest of the exploration teams and has been recognized by Guildmaster Wigglytuff.

* * *

Riolu lies on his bed, his back to Mana. No matter how hard he tries, he just can't get to sleep. This whole day as just been too important for him. First, he met Mana and she helped get his treasure back from those bad pokemon. He got over his fear and was finally able to join Wigglytuff's guild with his new partner and finally, they were able to become an official exploration team. Somehow, everything seems right and tomorrow starts their journey to new adventures. He closes his eyes, his exhaustion getting the best of him.

Mana turns over and looks out the small window. Just this morning she had woken up on a beach with no memory as to why and now she is here, partnered up with a new friend who seems to really want to help her. But a small trouble tugs her mind and her eyes wander over to Riolu's back. What if the reason why she doesn't remember is because something bad happened to her? Could she have forgotten to protect herself? Another thought sneaks its way into her and Mana sits up, gasping. She glances down at her pokemon body. _I can't think about it right now. Riolu said we would look for answers together and no matter how painful it might be or how frightened I am, I must learn the truth about myself. But in order to do that, I need to get some sleep._ Slowly, Mana lays back down and watching Riolu's back calms her down long enough for her to fall asleep.


	3. Trouble or Friendly Paranoia?

Mana and Riolu wake up to a loud voice yelling, "I SAID WAKE UP, ROOKIES! COME ON, UP AN' AT 'EM!" "Ohhh, my ears feel like they've exploded…" Riolu gets up, dizzy and stumbling over the floor. Mana shakes her head a couple of times and glances at Riolu, who looks back. They both smile and head out to find they are the last ones to join the other members. Chatot glares at them, as if to say 'I'll deal with you later.' He looks behind him and Wigglytuff comes out yawning.

"Alright everyone, you know the drill. We're all going to continue with our duties and under no circumstances are we going to slack off." Everyone nods their heads, determination flaring up. Chatot continues saying, "Recently, there have been a lot of criminal outbreaks throughout the region and it is unknown as to what the reason is, but as expected, the exploration teams all over are trying to do their best to handle things. Because we are also a guild, it is our duty to catch these criminals and help our fellow pokemon in need. Right, Guildmas…ter?" Everyone, including Mana and Riolu watch as their guildmaster stare at them with open eyes. One of the pokemon next to Riolu whispers, "Gotta hand to Wigglytuff to make mornings interesting." Another replies, "How come we get up early but he can sleep?" "Uh, he looks pretty awake to me."

"Ahem!" The chatters die away as Chatot glares at each member. He regains his composure, but before he could say anything, Wigglytuff inhales deeply and shouts, "YOOMMMM-TAHHH!" everyone Riolu and Mana, along with everyone else, utter a cry of surprise.

"Yes, exactly Guildmaster! Everyone, go out and show that same fighting spirit that our leader has shown us!" Everyone disperses Chatot stops Mana and Riolu. "You two come with me." They walk over to the outlaw notices attached to the wall and Chatot explains the jobs listed there. Riolu listens intently, interrupting a few times, and Mana listens quietly. Next, Chatot explains the job notices on the other side of the wall, flying over to the left side of the room. Again, Mana listens quietly while listening to Riolu and him talking. Finally, Chatot lets out a sigh and says, "Wait here." He comes back carrying a bag in his beak and he sets it down in front of the two.

"Every rookie is given an Exploration kit when they first start out. You have the basics; here, have a look inside." Riolu opens the bag up, and he squeals with excitement as Chatot explains each of the items. Mana's mind wanders off and she wonders if her and Riolu will actually be able to become an exploration team like everyone else. _Is this really happening? Today we can finally go out on our own and_-

"What?! Bu-but, what about exploring?" Riolu's plea interrupts Mana's thoughts and she looks between her friend and the irritated Chatot. "Are you crazy?! You are merely beginners, so it is very dangerous to let you both out without the proper preparations. Bidoof!" "Y-yes Chatot?" "It's your job to introduce Mana and Riolu to the square and make sure-" Chatot glares at Riolu, "-that they don't wander off. This is top priority and I will see you tonight for dinner. Now, off you go." Chatot scurries off before Riolu can argue. Bidoof glances at Mana, unsure about what to do.

"Riolu, we don't have to rush into things. There's always tomorrow and the next day, so let's just be patient and look around for a bit." Mana nudges Riolu and he lets out a small sigh. "You're right, I shouldn't be so impatient to leave. Okay then, let's go!" With new energy, Riolu leads the way outside and Mana and Bidoof follow. "Thank you," Bidoof whispers, smiling and Mana only nods politely. To be honest, she was also kind of hoping to go out exploring.

* * *

"Ah, that's Kecleon's market! And that's Duskull's bank. He's the one to go to when storing your money. Oh, oh! And this is Kangaskhan's storage and she stores any of our items that we find in dungeons!" Riolu's eyes light up as he explains each of the places and Bidoof nods in agreement, sometimes adding in a few key points. Mana follows without complaint, her mind absorbing so much of this new information and trying to store it away in her memories. This place is very unfamiliar to her and learning about each of these things seems to have intrigued Mana. If she could properly learn and understand pieces of this information, then she and Riolu would be able to start their explorations sooner, right?

"I'm impressed, yep yep. You guys are pretty good." Riolu blushes, embarrassed. "How 'bout this, you guys should walk around and get to know the square and shop owners. I'll meet you both in front of the guild entrance." With that, Bidoof walks away, leaving Mana and Riolu. Riolu glances sideways at Mana and asks, "So where do you wanna go?" "Well, we did find some money when we went looking for your relic, so it might be a good idea to go to Duskull's bank first." Riolu lights up and leads the way, mumbling happily about something.

After thanking Duskull, both decide to head to the Kecleon's Market just to look at the sales. Suddenly, a small blue pokemon darts in front of them and another blue pokemon, this one a bit taller, follows after. Riolu and Mana listen from the side as they watch the conversation between the Kecleon and the two blue pokemon unfold.

"Good morning Azurill, Marill. It has been awhile since we last saw you. How is your mother?" The little pokemon named Azurill answers, "She is much better thanks to those apples you gave us!" "We came here to buy two apples please," Marill says, pulling out some money. They exchange goods and both Azurill and Marill head off.

"Ah, those brothers are so good to their mother." Kecleon turns to Mana and Riolu as they inch closer to the counter. "Ever since she fell ill, they have been taking great care of her, buying her medicine and helping her get better." As if summoned, the brothers run over to the Kecleon brothers, gasping for air. One of them says to the Kecleon brothers, "We only bought two apples, but you accidently gave us three so we're returning-" The purple Kecleon shakes his head and smiles. "No, no, it wasn't an accident. I gave it to you free of charge so please, keep it." Azurill looks down at the apple and when he looks back up, his eyes glowing with such happiness.

"T-thank you Kecleon! I won't forget this." Bouncing, Azurill heads off, the extra apple falling out of his grasp. Mana picks it up and holds it out, saying, "W-wait, you forgot this!" "O-oh my, I'm so sorry to trouble you again. Thank you!" As Mana hands over the apple, something comes over her the minute Azurill grabs the fruit. Suddenly, her head begins to hurt, as if someone is crushing her. She faintly hears Riolu's voice as her mind blacks out.

_Someone… H-help me!_ A flash of white light blinds Mana and she squeals in pain, flinching back and accidently bumping into Riolu, who looks at her with worry. The Kecleon brothers are also glancing at her with concern, but she is not paying attention as she looks around her, searching for that voice. Finally, she looks at Riolu and asks, "Did you hear that? Someone was screaming for help." Riolu only looks at her with confusion and he shakes his head. "N-no, we didn't hear anything except for you crying out. You might have gotten confused with your own voice-" "No, I heard another cry. They were in trouble and screaming for help. Didn't you hear it?" Again Riolu shakes his head, but this time he smiles a little. "Maybe you were just imagining it. We've had a busy day and you're probably just tired from all the excitement. Come on, we should probably be getting back." Mana follows Riolu back to the guild and in doing so, they pass by the two blue brothers and an unfamiliar pokemon.

"Oh look, they look like they're getting along." Riolu waves at the brothers and Azurill bounces over to them, his smile contagious. "Mr. Drowzee is going to help us look for our special item! We had lost it and were about to give up hope when he offered to help. Isn't that great?" Mana and Riolu look over at Drowzee, who walks over to them. "Yes, I wanted to help the poor brothers look for their precious item their mother had given to them. I just can't let them wander off alone when the world is so dangerous." Riolu grabs Drowzee's hand and thanks him for his kindness. "Well, we better head off first thing in the morning." "Bye! Good luck finding your item," Riolu shouts waving them off. Him and Mana then hurry to the guild, barely making it to dinner.

* * *

Riolu looks out the window, his eyes watching the dark clouds rumbling above them. "It looks like it's gonna be bad night tonight Mana." A clap of thunder frightens Riolu and he lets out a small yelp. Mana looks over at him, then past him at the sky. She hopes the brothers will be okay. _But what was that flash? I wasn't hearing things, I'm sure I heard someone calling for help._ Mana shakes her head, ridding herself of her thoughts as she watches Riolu get into bed.

"I mean, it's not like the storm scares me, it's just…the thunder just scared me a bit, but that doesn't mean I was afraid or anything…" Riolu turns over, still mumbling. Mana smiles slightly and wishes Riolu a good night before she, too, closes her eyes.


	4. Danger

The storm rages forth, the rain heavy as it pounds itself into the cracks of the ground. The wind howls and moans, beating against the unknown pokemon. He pauses for a moment, trying to fight against this strong current. It was just like before, nature fighting against him but this time, he wasn't going to stop until he got what he came for.

He runs through the trees, until he comes across a faint glow lighting up the darkened sky. The pokemon takes a few steps closer, his eyes transixed on the glow. He reaches for it, still staring at it as if he can't believe it himself. Whispering to himself, he mumbbles, "Is it really…?" Another step closer. "Yes, after searching for so long, I've finally found one. A Time Gear."

Lightning strikes a tree close to him and he is blinded momentarily, revealing a part of him to this world. Just as quickly as he had come, the unknown pokemon dashes into the darkness, the rain drowning out his movements and his outline as he vanishes.

* * *

"…Go for miles! Alright everyone, back to work. Hold on you two," Chatot says, looking at Mana and Riolu. He directs a wing over to the 'wanted' notice board and both pokemon walk over to it, looking at Chatot.

"Since you both are still new, I'll pick out an easy job for you to-" "W-wait, we have to f-fight these bad guys? I thought we were just going to explore dungeons and stuff, not catch criminals!" Riolu backs away slowly, his legs shaking together. His eyes grow big and he glances at Mana, but she is not paying attention. She squints ahead, looking at one poster in particular. Pinned at the center of the board is a familiar face and before she could say or do anything, her head begins to hurt. _T-this...pain!_ She closes her eyes and instead of seeing nothing, she sees an unknown place.

_Azurill skips forward until he hits a dead end. Looking around, he only sees the cliffs in front of him and nothing else except for his new friend, Drowzee. Azurill smiles and says, "Maybe we went the wrong way." He looks around again. "Oh, I hope my brother catches up soon; I don't want him to think I'm lost or anything. Do you think we should go back and look-" Drowzee's laughs out loud, cutting off the little pokemon._

_"Your brother won't be coming after us. In fact, he won't be coming at all." "Wh…what do you mean?" "I mean that I only needed you; your brother was just in the way. Don't worry, you'll see him again if you cooperate." Drowzee takes a step towards Azurill, who takes a step back. His tail hits the wall and he gasps, terrified._

_"C-cooperate? Wha-what do you mean?" "Oh it's simple really." Drowzee points to a small hole right next to Azurill and continues. "You're going to enter that little hole and find me my treasure that's supposedly hidden in there. You see, I'm too big to fit in, but when I came across you in the square yesterday, I knew that you were the perfect size so I pretended to help you look for your precious item. Hahaha! And you were so gullible in believing me too!" Drowzee laughs again, the sound echoing off the walls._

_"N-No way! I'm not helping someone like you. You...you tricked me!" Azurill yells, tears welling up in his eyes. Where did his brother go? Did something happen to him? Azurill's thoughts run wildly around his head and he runs past Drowzee to get away, to move as far away from this villain as possible. Drowzee sees this and quickly blocks the pokemon from going any further. He smiles cruelly, his eyes flashing with anger and something else, something scary. Azurill shakes his head slowly and screams out, "Someone! H-help me!"_

Drowzee's maniacal laugh drowns out Azurill's cries and Mana is suddenly shaking her head furiously, trying to get the laugh to stop. Riolu's mingled words bring Mana back to reality and immediately, she is gasping for air. Mana rips down the poster and holds it up in front of Riolu.

"Azurill and Marill are in danger! Remember him from yesterday?" Mana pants, her head still throbbing from her earlier headache. She doesn't wait for her friend's reply as she shoves the paper into their small pack. She runs up the ladder, ignoring her friend as she exits the guild.

"W-wait up Mana!" Riolu clambers up the ladder, trying to adjust the straps of the pack at the same time. He understands Mana's rush, but… _Something's different about her, something wrong._ He flicks that thought away, hurrying to find the cyndaquil. Running out of the guild, he jumps a few steps at a time and allmost trips over Mana in the process. He looks over her and there is Marill, worried.

"Ah, it's you two from the market! Please, can you help me find my brother?" Marill explains what happened, his worried expression changing to panic as he finishes his story. Riolu and Mana listen intently until finally, Marill says, "I couldn't keep up and the next thing I knew, they disappeared! I don't know what to do and I don't think I can…I can…" Marill bursts into tears and Riolu tries, unsuccessfully, to calm down the blue pokemon.

"I-It's going to be alright. Mana and I will find him for you, right Mana?" Riolu looks at his friend with pleading eyes. He was never one to console any pokemon, but this situation demanded it. The only problem was that RIolu was terrified of going after a wanted criminal, especially going out there without any time for preparations. Wasn't his friend scared? Mana's voice cuts through his pessimism, her anger barely showing through as she faces Marill.

"There's nothing to worry about. Riolu and I will get Azurill back, promise." _How dare Drowzee take advantage of those brothers without any remorse?_ Mana walks past, her anger surprising Riolu as he steps toward Marill. "U-uh yeah! We'll bring back your brother so there's nothing to worry about okay?" Riolu takes off after Mana, keeping pace with her as they travel towards their destination. When they reach the entrance, Riolu stops. His legs begin shaking and he hesitates to move forward. Mana glances back at her friend, but she is too impatient and angry to comfort him and she takes a deep breath.

"I know you're scared, but we promised Marill we'd save his brother. You know what Drowzee is capable of so there's no reason to back out now." "B-but Mana…maybe we should come back and let someone else do it instead. I don't think we're ready-"

"Ready?!" Riolu squeals when Mana lashes out at him.

"You were the one who wanted to be an explorer, so why are you backing out now? What happened to solving the mystery of your relic or finding buried treasure? You think everything is going to come to you every time you run away? We are an exploration team and we don't just find treasure, we help innocent pokemon find their justice. That's what we're doing now and you want to leave?! We promised Marill that we'd get his brother back, but if you want to run away, then go ahead. I'll find Drowzee, stop him if I have to, and get Marill back to safety all on my own…without you!" With that, Mana turns around and heads into the cave, leaving Riolu surrounded by her lingering words.

* * *

Mana throws her last sleep seed and runs away as another group of spinarak chase after her. She makes a left and squeezes herself in a corner, holding her breath as the pokemon scramble past her and disappear around the corner. She glances around, but there is no sign of any pokemon. Panting, she makes her way towards the stairs she had passed and climbs up. She comes face to face with an angry machop.

"U-uh…I don't want to fight you, but-" Machop uses low kick, but it misses. Without hesitation, Mana uses ember and Machop faints. She walks around him, ready to look for the next set of stairs. She never thought it would be so hard to make it through the mountainous area on her own. She feels guilty for snapping at Riolu, but is too afraid to face him. _He might have went for help, or maybe he's upset that I yelled at him. _Mana shakes her head in an attempt to erase her guilt. Sure she regrets how she handled the situation, but the thought of leaving Azurill with a wanted criminal any longer doesn't sit well with her.

Mana's stomach growls. She looks around, afraid that she had been caught, but there's no sign that any of the sleeping pokemon in front of her had heard. She glances at the staircase hiding behind a Nidorino and sighs, defeated. How was she going to get past him without waking him up? Mana remembers that Bidoof had told her that a Nidorino's horn was poisonous. _I only grabbed a sleep seed, but Riolu still has our bag and I'm too weak and hungry to even try anything. _Has she failed Azurill? Was everything she worked for already over?

"No, I still have some energy left. I can still fight, even for a little bit." With only Mana determination guiding her, she quietly walks towards the sleeping pokemon. Nidorino's eyes pop open, but Mana uses smokescreen and runs straight for the stairs. She feels a sharp piercing in her side as she runs up the stairs. She collapses at the top, watching as the stairs in front of her disappear. Her legs feel weak, her stomach aching for nourishment, and the poison that Nidorino injected is spreading through her body. She is unable to go any further, unable to save Azurill, unable to get her memories back, and unable to apologize to Riolu for the awful things she had said to him. The regrets she has spills out of her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. A blurry figure bends down, but Mana is too exhausted to do anything as her body rests on the cold ground. The exhaustion kicks in and she succumbs to the sleep, hearing no more of the voice yelling something and the touch that tugs her gently.

* * *

"…na. Ma…na." A paw nudges her, but she refuses to wake up. Why is someone trying to help her? She has been weakened but why is someone trying to make her feel worse? Another nudge and Mana moans, her muscles aching and her body grumbling from being woken up.

"Mana, please. Wake up. I can't do anything without you, I'm useless and a coward. I can't go up those stairs and face Drowzee like I did with Zubat and Koffing. You're my friend and I know that I can trust you to fight with me, but you have to wake up. Please, Mana. I can't do this…without you." Riolu hiccups, wiping his tears away. He sniffles, looking for a pecha berry buried somewhere in the bag.

"I'm sorry…Riolu." Mana tries to get up, but she is too weak to move. Riolu pulls out a pecha berry and breaks it into smaller pieces. He hands it to her and she nibbles on it, looking down in shame. "I said awful things to you and I know apologizing isn't enough, but-"

"Mm-mm, you were right. I should be the one saying sorry. I've always been afraid of anything that sounded dangerous and I've always ran from it. Meeting you helped me realize that I shouldn't just wait for answers to come to me; I should be the one to charge for it, so there's no reason for you to apologize." Riolu chuckles, but Mana notices him wiping away a tear. She says nothing, finishing up the rest of the berry. Riolu then hands her an oran berry, telling her that he'll scan for any pokemon.

"Okay, there's no one around, so we should be all right trying to find the stairs. How are you doing? Would you like to rest some more?" Mana shakes her head, feeling her strength returning. She makes a note of the berries she has eaten and with Riolu's help, Mana begins searching for this floor's set of stairs. It is not long when two nidorinos block their path, their horns dripping with poison. Mana flinches, remembering the poison from earlier. Both pokemon charge at them and Riolu holds his palms up, his whole body trembling.

"Mana, hurry! I'll hold them off while you get a-away." One nidorino uses poison sting, aiming straight for Riolu as the other one tackles from the side. Mana could only watch, paralyzed. A million different things run through her mind, but the one little thing snaps her out of her fear.

_"It was because you were there that I was able to overcome my fear and fight for myself…" That's right, it was that time when we got back Riolu's relic from Zubat and Koffing. _Mana's fear shakens her, but she decides to fight back. _As long as Riolu is with me, I will fight for my beliefs and for my friend!_

Riolu's eyes widen, his palms still in front of him as the poisonous horns come at him. To the side, the other nidorino charges straight for his legs. He has no time to move, no thoughts to scream at him, and his instinct to run had fled from him the second he chose to follow after Mana. What was he thinking? He thought he could do this, he thought he could overcome his fear. How utterly wrong he was, and now he is going to pay for his courage.

"Riolu, get down!" Mana's voice kills off any lingering panic and Riolu drops to the floor as something flies over him. Suddenly, the two nidorinos wander around aimlessly grumbling and pawing at the ground with unease. Mana uses smokescreen, then flees from the pokemon with Riolu following after her. After turning a corner, his legs finally give way and he collapses.

"Wh-what was that you threw at them?" "It's called a foe-fear orb. It caused the nidorino to be afraid of us, so they wouldn't attack. That's why they started avoiding us. Are you okay?" Mana looks at her friend, concerned. What she did was unthinkable, but smart. She shouldn't have gotten scared and froze like that while Riolu was in danger, but his words were able to calm her down long enough to think of a plan. Should she tell Riolu or should she wait until this is all over? _No, I'll apologize to him later when we rescue Azurill. For now, I need to get ahold of myself and think._ Mana shakes her head and looks around.

"We can't stay long. We have to find the stairs quickly before we run into any more danger. Can you stand?" Riolu gets up, ignoring the trembling of his legs. He smiles weakly at Mana and nods. "Okay, so are you ready? We don't have enough items to get us through, but we need to save some for Drowzee. I have a feeling he's going to be the toughest one to beat." Riolu only nods, not trusting his voice for fear that he will begin to cry. _How can Mana be so calm? Why must I be the scaredy-cat and not some courageous pokemon like her? _Riolu trails behind Mana as they walk through the floor's maze, searching for the staircase. Mana glances behind her a few times, keeping an eye on the depressed Riolu and she sighs quietly.

"Y-you know… If you hadn't come to save me back there, I would've died from the poison. But when we faced those nidorino, I was terrified because I remembered how their poison had affected me. I remembered how the pain felt and I couldn't move hwen I saw that you were surrounded. Even after you had told me to run, I couldn't. I was so afraid and I wanted to run away so badly, but then I remembered what you had said to me when we first met." Mana pauses, looking around the corner while refusing to glance back at Riolu. She beckons him to follow, continuing.

"You're not the only one who gets scared, but we all have a choice. Do we want it to rule over us or do we want to rule over them? I want to know what happened to me and why I have been turned into a pokemon, but I am afraid that I will learn something and I will regret it when I know the truth. You want to know more about your relic, but there is going to be a lot of difficult paths and you have to decide whether or not you want to go through them or just hide. Oh, there it is! The staircase." Mana gasps, then smiles. Riolu pauses as he glances at the stairs. Unlike the last floors, this set of stairs leads to light. Could it be that they have finally made it to the top? Riolu gulps, suddenly feeling the urge to run.

"Remember what I said." Mana stares at her friend, then looks up at the stairs. "I'm not going hide because I will be afraid of something, but getting back my memory is more important to me than my own fear. I will fight, so I am going up there. Are you also going to fight?" Riolu was wrong about Mana. Of course she has fears, how could he assume otherwise? _I am willing to fight as long as she is! Someday, I will overcome my own fears and discover the mystery of the relic._

Riolu smiles, determination sparkling in his eyes. "Let's go save Azurill."


End file.
